


Moonlight Serenade

by HDLynn



Series: The Woodmere Estate Series [4]
Category: Prospect (2018)
Genre: 1930s AU, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Relationship Fluff, Sexual Situations, Some Cursing, lime-ish, recreational alcohol use, sprinkle of angst if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDLynn/pseuds/HDLynn
Summary: After some weeks of being in a relationship with Ezra the reader has a special night with him under the moonlit sky.
Relationships: Ezra (Prospect) x Reader
Series: The Woodmere Estate Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684198
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Moonlight Serenade

Autumn had come quickly, but time flies when you are having fun or so the saying goes. Cee had been busy with both high school and the one art class she was taking at the local college. She was doing well, and I found myself morphing slowly from her teacher to being an advisor on her school projects. That suited me just fine. The real adjustment was the enormously increased amount of time I had been spending with Ezra.

The soft light of morning filtered in through gauzy curtains, casting the bedroom in a golden glow. Ezra, while a creature of comfort now, still liked to rise with the sun, so he generally didn’t have the thicker brocade curtains drawn all the way. Well, he normally liked to get up early, but we had been up rather late the previous night. Our legs remained entwined as if we had always been meant to fit together thus. We had become a tangle of souls that we couldn’t unravel even if we wanted to.

Ezra’s arm was flung over my waist, his warm hand splayed across the softness of my stomach. I knew he wasn’t quite asleep for he was tracing soft circles on my flesh there.

I tried to stretch slightly, but Ezra pulled me into his side more firmly. He grumbled into my hair, his voice deeper from sleep.

“Let us not rise with the bright day-star just yet, for I find myself impuissant to try and part from this embrace just yet.”

I smiled at that, I did not know how he always seemed to have such words at his disposal. Well, almost always, I could think of a few ways I could have Ezra quite tongue-tied or at least confined to shorter words. 

“Will you allow me to turn over so I can at least kiss you good morning?” I teased.

Ezra hummed, the deep sound vibrating through me.

“That would be more than an agreeable way to commence the day with.” 

Rolling over so I could look into his face, I couldn’t help smiling back at him when he had such a dopey smile on his own face before bestowing a soft kiss to his plush lips. My hand reached up to trace the length of his throat to his jaw, taking extra care to catalog how he looked with the growth of his facial hair from just the other morning. He seemed to have some patchy areas and a few grey hairs, but I found it charming.

“What would I have to do to have you grow this out?” I asked, my fingertips lingering over the rough texture. It was abrasive, in an addicting way.  
He raised a sleepy eyebrow at my query.

“Is my mustache not sufficing?” His eye’s sparking with laughter. 

“Just curious,” I said, trying to shrug while still lying down in bed, the effect was not quite what I would have preferred. More awkward than coy even as heat pooled in me at the thought of kissing him again, the feel of his stubble on my skin.

“Well, there might be yet a day you see me looking more as the bewhiskered miner,” he said. “Sorrowfully, I must endeavor to make myself presentable today to talk business with some gentlemen. Speaking of which, I have a query for you.”

I hummed in response to let him know I was listening as I let my hands start to explore Ezra’s chest. Curious fingers tracing nonsense over the muscles there and up to the hollow on his throat. I watched as he swallowed, his Adam's apple moving as his eyes darkened with craving.

“Damnation, but you are a distraction unparalleled when you desire to be so. I do have a question for you, my captivating siren.” Ezra said even as he pulled me in flush against himself so I could feel his desire growing between us.

“I was wondering if you would contemplate accompanying me to the party at the Abney’s place this Saturday?”

“You want me to go with you?” I asked, in return. The Abney family was rich and old, and I knew I wouldn’t ever have been invited as a teacher to any of their parties.

“I would desire your company most greatly,” Ezra said.

I pretended to think about it but I already knew my answer.

“I suppose I’ll go with you if you do desire it.” I ground my hips into his to emphasize the word ‘desire’.

The friction elicited a groan out of both of us. I buried my hands in his hair gripping at the soft chocolate-colored strands lightly but firmly. Ezra’s mouth found mine and his strong hand pulled my leg to hook around his hip.

“An absolute beguiling distraction, my Dovey,” Ezra muttered, his words hot on my skin. The use of my nickname sparked a question in me.

“Ezra? Can I ask you something?” I breathed out between his languid open-mouthed kisses. The question quickening in me even in such a pleasurable moment.

“I believe you just did, but please proceed, darling.” His smirk was wicked and his drawl thick before nipping at a sensitive spot on my neck, causing me to gasp before I could get the words out.

“Why do you call me Dovey?”

He chuckled at that. “You will think me a saccharine fool, to be sure, but it is from the first when I beheld you inside Woodmere. Standing on the entry hall stones in your grey travel clothes with your inquisitive eyes. I saw you as I saw a wood dove, soft, and surely I knew you must sound just as sweet. I was sure you would just as quickly fly away as you had alighted before me.”

It was then I took Ezra Carstone’s face in my hands and kissed him thoroughly, the taste of him like ambrosia on my lips. Neither of us had many more words for a good amount of time that morning. It was all hot breaths, gasps, and whispered sweet nothings.

~*~

When Ezra had asked if I would be agreeable to going with him as his ‘plus one’ to a party, I had been surprised but also happy to accept. The main issue at hand was that I required a dress. Easy to remedy really, one just had to go to one of the department stores in the large nearby city. Seeing as my aunt was also in need of some things for the household, she accompanied me.

As we sorted through some of the evening wear dresses, we chitchatted about nothing much until she blindsided me.

“Are you happy with him?” Auntie asked so nonchalantly it took me aback.  
I should have known I wasn’t going to get away with Auntie not asking about my personal life. She lived in the same household, and Ezra and I hadn’t exactly been…discrete the past couple of weeks. But I did know my answer to her question.

“Yes, Ezra is a good man. He makes me happy.”

“Do you need anything in the way of family planning? Condoms? A diaphragm?”

I flushed bright red. Dear Lord, I did not want to be having this conversation with a family member right now. Nor ever.

“Auntie, please don’t worry about that…Ezra…he…well, we’ve been using protection.” I said, my face burning. We had started using condoms. Except for that first time. I wasn’t about to discuss that with my aunt, though. I had gotten my period since then, so I knew I wasn’t pregnant from a single roll around in a field. 

“Good,” Auntie said with a nod. “I won’t let Cook poison him, then.”

I looked at her aghast until she winked at me and laughed.

“Auntie, you are incorrigible!” I cried out, amused despite myself.

“Perhaps, I am,” she mused, “but it seems it runs in the family. As long as you’re being safe and are also happy I really couldn’t care less what you do. You might be my niece, but you are also a grown woman.”

“Thank you,” I had nothing more to properly express myself so I pressed my hand on hers.

She pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek. “Think nothing of it, but I do believe we still need to find you a gown.”

~*~

The dress I had ended up purchasing, with Auntie Eddie’s approval, was a sleek and minimal design made with a bias-cut, letting the fabric drape more naturally over my form. The simplicity of the design was complemented by the color of the fabric. It was a soft gray silk that had shifts of blues and purples depending on the light. Auntie had found a lovely wrap that was black with silver embroidery that was quite pretty with the dress and completed the outfit.

When Ezra’s eyes had lit up at the sight of me as I came down to meet him in the foyer, I knew I had picked well. He breathed out my name in such an awed manner it made my chest tighten. I turned pink with pleasure when he kissed my knuckles before escorting me outside.

“You look a portion of moonlight that’s fallen into my unworthy company,” Ezra said into the hair right behind my ear as John pulled the car up.

“You don’t look half bad yourself, Mr. Carstone.” 

He did indeed look very dapper in his coat and tails, but his black bowtie was slightly askew.

“One moment, let me fix you,” I ordered.

Ezra stood still until I was satisfied with the position of his bow tie.  
“Perfect,” I breathed out, looking into his brown eyes, the skin wrinkling around them slightly from his smile.

John, in his smartest chauffeur’s uniform, drove Ezra and me the ten-minute drive to the Abney’s house. It was an older plantation estate, though they seemed to have added onto the building and updated the gardens to have such modern things as a tennis court and a large pool. The whole place was lit up and sparkling. After one of the maids took my wrap, I immediately gravitate back to Ezra. I was not quite like a moth drawn to the flame of his presence, for I didn’t fear him burning me, but it was something similar. 

Ezra introduced me to Mr. And Mrs. Abney, who seemed nice enough. But then I was introduced to another dozen or so others and did not remember a single name. Ezra, though, seemed to be in his element. He knew everyone’s names and some little fact about them that immediately had them in the palm of his hand.

I had felt several cutting glances sent in my direction from the society ladies at the party. Of course, none of them explicitly said anything, but I knew they were talking about me and how they figured I had gotten into Mr. Carstone’s good favors. They were just too ‘polite’ to just come out with it.

I had seen my share of snippy society ladies in New York City, so I knew what to expect. This was a competition to see who could out sugar the other, and they thought that, since I was merely a hired teacher (and probably my employer’s whore in their eyes), I would be an easy mark. They didn’t know I was made of sterner stuff. Also, I was connected with Mr. Carstone’s household more than any of them could imagine and I knew all kinds of dirty details about their lives. It didn’t matter to me who was fucking their friend’s husband in the long run, but it would matter to them.

I looked to Ezra when the dancing started up with pleading eyes.

“My apologizes, Dovey,” Ezra said, moving to squeeze my hand affectionately. “I must concede to not being schooled in these newer dances in the slightest, I will be remaining on the sidelines for this occasion. Though, I will not request you forego the activity on my behalf.”

The dance partner I eventually ended up with was unfortunately not a bore, that would have been bearable. Instead, he kept making what he thought were sly insinuations and innuendos about my relationship with Mr. Carstone. He had the subtlety of a foghorn and was even less charming, so I was not torn up when I ‘accidentally’ stepped on his feet in my heels. 

The moment the dance was done, I gave the man a polite yet icy nod and I extricated myself from his company to find my way back to Ezra’s side. He had acquired a Manhattan cocktail. His stance was tight and his lips were pressed in a thin line, but I knew he wasn’t angry. No, the deepening of the wrinkle between his brows usually meant he had been self-reflecting on an older wound rather than feeling jealous like some might assume mistakenly. I could tell he tried to push away the clouds for my sake as I came to him. 

He looked like he was going to ask me if I had a good time out on the dance floor, but I was able to speak before he could start. “How long do we have to stay for it not to be considered rude for us to leave?” I whispered in his ear, making sure only he could hear me. 

Ezra’s face was a picture of amusement and then a bit of worry at my obvious dislike of the party.

“Is something amiss, Dovey?” He set his glass down on the table before his hand came to carefully rest on my back. His touch caused a flood of pleasure to come over me when his fingers splayed large and strong over the skin that the low cut back of the dress lay bare. He could have asked anything of me at that moment and I would have told him all.

“Just that…I don’t feel I fit in with this set,” I confessed. “I know you have to come to these events, but I don’t know how you do it. It feels more like a swarm of sharks in here than just a party.”

“That would be because it is a swarm of sharks,” Ezra said, wiggling his eyebrows and his eyes were twinkling again. “It is all a game of one-up-man-ship obscured in a pageant of formalities. But in answer to your question, my business is concluded. We can depart now if you wish.”

“Please, let’s.” I practically begged.

We stole away full of puckish delight, immediately feeling more ourselves once we left the house and were on the way back to Woodmere.

~*~

We were both still wide awake when we returned to the house, giddy like we had just skipped class while we ate some cookies that Cook had set aside for when we returned. Cook was a wise woman and I loved her for it.

The night was still warm and bright from the fullness of the moon shining in through the French doors that led directly from the sitting room onto the lawn outside. I could see the outlines of the garden landscape painted in the silver-blue light. The scene it presented, the light and the darkness, struck me with its quiet beauty.

Dropping my wrap on the sofa, I walked over to Ezra who had gotten comfortable in his usual chair with the nightcap of his favorite whiskey.

“Ezra, come with me,” I ordered.

He raised a bemused eyebrow at me but set his glass down so he could take my hand. He got up from the chair with an exaggerated groan.

“Anything for you, darling. But I will admit to being rather spent this evening. Or is it morning now? I’m not sure if I can keep up with youthful energy at this moment,” he groused good-naturedly.

I hummed in response, unable to keep the puckish look from my face as I pulled Ezra towards the double doors. I used my free hand to open them before continuing to lead him outside and into the light of Selene. The confused look he was giving me only made me smile wider at him, but he followed me without complaint.

“Will you be so kind as to enlighten a man of what your precious mind is about?” he asked.

“In one minute, Mr. Carstone,” I said before giving him a teasingly light kiss on his cheek.

“Stay right here, please,” I requested. “I’ll be right back.”

“Promise you aren’t going to lock me outside in the dark?”

“I promise,” I said.

It was hard letting go of his hand, but it was required to set up what I had planned so I managed.

“I entreat you to come back expeditiously, Dovey. You have an old man piqued with curiosity,” Ezra quietly called after me. I sent him a grin in response, I wasn’t about to spill the beans just yet.

I swiftly made my way to the record player in the corner of the room and the collection of vinyl that was there. Cee had a much larger collection in her own bedroom suite, but the ones I was looking for I knew to be down here. They were not to Cee’s taste at the moment, she preferred more upbeat tunes, compared to the slower song I was looking for.

There it was. I slid the record carefully out of its thin cardboard sleeve and placed it on the player and started it up. The speaker crackled to life before the first few notes wobbled out and then became more solid as the record spun on. Satisfied with the setup, I picked up the long hem of my dress and ran back out to Ezra.

Even as I came back to his side I could see his curiosity had turned slightly self-conscious. He was not a dull man and had obviously picked up on what I was about, the strains of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra playing having proceeded my return. It was cheesy, the current song was literally called _Moonlight Serenade_ and it was to be followed by another damn sappy song, but I didn’t allow myself to be dissuaded from my course.

“Ezra, will you please dance with me?” I asked. He couldn’t say no if we were alone, could he?

He apparently couldn’t.

“Dovey, come here, darling girl,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.  
I easily slipped into his embrace, putting my arms around his neck as his left arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me in closer than what was considered proper at the party we had just attended. We stood like that, swaying to the music in silence for some time before he spoke again.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who leans towards the sentimental,” he murmured in my ear, the heat from his mouth pulling a sigh from me. 

“Dearheart, you really have the ability to see into the very core of me. I wanted you soft in my embrace just thus so badly…but I can’t properly-“ 

I stopped him before he could continue, keeping a tight hold on him but pulling back enough so I could look him in the eyes.

“You do dance with me properly, Ezra Carstone. I’ll always want to be dancing with you like this, in the middle of the night on your lawn rather than with any other man who was at that stupid party tonight. I want to dance with you because it’s you. I’d rather do everything with you.”

Ezra’s gaze drilled into mine as the music swelled when the next song started. It was one of my favorites, _I Know Why (And So Do You)_.

“You endeavoring to apprise me of something, Dovey?” he asked. His body was trembling from the question, like mine was with the answer.

“That I love you? Yes, silly man, I love you.” The admission making me feel giddy and light.

Ezra closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling in the night air.

“I love you too, earnestly so.” He said, whispering my name like a benediction before he dipped his head to steal a long kiss from me as we continued to sway gently to the music long after it had stopped. 

~*~*~

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I will admit to stealing both Moonlight Serenade & I Know Why (And So Do You) from 1941 instead of them being from the 1930s, I just couldn’t help myself when they fit my vision for the scene. 


End file.
